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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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Runihi, Rinyinya and Isindu

-: Long long time ago, _runihi_ , _rinyinya_ and _isindu_ lived together. They went to the market and bought a cow. On their way home, they met their fate. 

Rain started beating heavily. They had to tie the cow on a tree and take cover nearby. As it rained the cow managed to free itself. 

The three friends  came back in aftermath. Looked around and saw nothing. Only a rope. And they knew their cow was gone. 

In anger, they cursed. The _rinyinya_ said it will never gaze up from where the rain came from. May death meet it if it does. _Runihi_swore never to cross paths in which they lost their cow. May death meet it if it does. _Isindu_ swore never to rest on a tree that the cow was tied on. That is why the three consecutively keeps the head downwards, never crosses paths and flies from ground to ground. And both swore never to work in daylight but to go about their businesses at night. 

 *Isindu*
This little bird is a rich-protein delicacy caught by setting ground traps. The bird does not perch. Seduction is by raising caged (keyonzo/kifuvi) birds on a tall fiddle (murage) to chirp in calling the free moving ones.

Late at night, 12am, the birds are hosted up in their cages to start close calling the then night flying fellow birds. At 10am they are lowered and fed. At 4pm too and at this time they are taken indoors for rest and sleep. Till 12am. 

Several thick paths below the hoists, thickly grassed as the wild, where the free roaming birds come to land are strategically laid with traps. Sides barred, a way across is opened by a knot, a string from a cow tail, fastening when slightly pulled. Unless it takes long for the person to harvest, the string does not kill. 

At the village one little _isindu_ goes for Ksh 50/-  High season is prior to harvesting, when farms are with plenty of grains. 

-: @⁨Lung'afa⁩ in a weird telepathic way, you seem to have read my thoughts earlier today. It crossed my mind that I should come over you help me gather such folk tales and folkloric idioms from those wazees I've seen you talk to. I'm doing the same currently for Bukusu ones, and I wanted Maragoli to be next. Possible?

-: Yes We can

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